AU Press Release Election Outcome Is Bitter Defeat For Catholic Bishops And Religious Right Groups

Sectarian Lobbies Largely Failed At The Polls, But Culture War Is Still Likely To Escalate, Says AU’s Lynn November 7, 2012 Efforts by the Catholic bishops and Religious Right groups to control the outcome of the 2012 elections largely failed, but the culture war over marriage, birth control and individual freedom may heat up anyway, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The Catholic hierarchy and Religious Right leaders waged an aggressive campaign to unseat President Barack Obama and deny Democrats control of the U.S. Senate. They also unsuccessfully pushed state referenda votes requiring taxpayer funding of religion (Florida), imposing restrictions on abortion (Florida) and denying marriage equality to gay couples (Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and Washington State).  Said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, “The bishops and the Religious Right bent every rule to try to impose their political will, but they failed badly. The American people clearly are not inclined to take voting orders from presumptuous preachers.” Lynn noted that churches and other 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups are barred by federal tax law from intervening in elections. Yet many did so anyway. Read more at au.org...

Decorated Afghanistan War Veteran Sues North Carolina Town Over Sectarian Symbols At Veterans’ Memorial City Of King Is Exploiting The Memory Of American Soldiers To Promote Christianity November 2, 2012 The city of King, N.C., is violating the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions by displaying sectarian symbols at a veterans’ memorial, Americans United for Separation of Church and State told a federal court today. In a lawsuit filed on behalf of Steven Hewett, a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Americans United asked the city to remove the Christian flag as well as a Christian statue at the memorial.   “The United States armed forces are highly diverse,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “To have a veterans’ memorial that only honors soldiers of one religion is not only a violation of the First Amendment, but also an insult to the memory of non-Christians who served their country.” Hewett, who won the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star during his service with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, first complained about King’s overt promotion of Christianity in July 2010. A non-Christian, he asked for the removal of the Christian flag from the city-sponsored memorial out of respect for the many non-Christian veterans who have served their country. Read more at au.org...

Taxpayers Have Right To Challenge Church Control Of Federal Program

AU Tells Court That Public Has Right To Question Bishops’ Restrictions On Program To Help Sex-Trafficking Victims Oct. 24, 2012 When the federal government lets a church group impose religious doctrine on a publicly funded program, taxpayers have the right to take the matter to court. That’s the viewpoint put forward by Americans United for Separation of Church and State in a friend-of-the-court brieffiled with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today. The appeals court is considering a case in which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2006 gave the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops control over a program that helps sex-trafficking victims. The bishops’ conference then denied funding to other social service agencies unless they promised not to use the public dollars for abortion or contraceptive services. The American Civil Liberties Union challenged the arrangement, saying it violated church-state separation and denied essential services to trafficking victims. Read more at au.org...

AU Press Release 10/4/12

Tennessee County Must Stop Giving Christianity Favored Treatment, AU Warns Americans United Says Sevier County Commission Promotes Religion With Christian Prayer And Christian Poster

Oct. 4, 2012 The Sevier County, Tenn., Commission must stop preferring the Christian faith over other religious perspectives, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has warned. In a letter yesterday, Americans United attorneys said the Constitution requires the Commission to stop reciting the Lord’s Prayer before its meetings and remove a Christian poster from its meeting room. The poster features the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, an image of Jesus Christ and other items sacred to Christians. Displaying it and allowing the mayor to lead recitations of the Lord’s Prayer constitute clear violations of the First Amendment, the AU letter says. “There is really no gray area here,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “The Sevier County commissioners have singled out one faith for favored government treatment. That’s unconstitutional and unfair. Read more at au.org...

AU Press Release 9/20/12

Colorado Ministry Should Lose Tax Exemption For Partisan Political Intervention

Church-State Watchdog Group Requests IRS Investigation Of Ridgway Religious Group That Called On Residents To Vote Republican Sep 20, 2012 Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a ministry in Ridgway, Colo., that printed and mailed a magazine to state residents asking them to vote for Republican candidates. The publication was produced by Ridgway Christian Center, an affiliate of Praise Him Ministries. Its cover is dated Fall 2012, and it features a photo of a series of American flags. The headline reads, “Honor God! Love your country! VOTE REPUBLICAN!” “This type of political intervention by a religious group is over the top,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Federal law does not allow tax-exempt groups to intervene in partisan politics like this.” Added Lynn, “This ministry has violated the law and should pay the penalty.” Read More at AU.org...

Adventures in Yahoo News Trolling (19)

Afghan Protest Over Anti-Islam Film Turns Violent
Comment from ez freemann

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  Ez Freemann  •  42 mins ago

  Islam: The Religion of Peace.

Adventures in Yahoo News Trolling (18)

Can a speech by a woman, for women, draft female voters?

Comment from ez freemann

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  Ez Freemann  •  4 hrs ago

  Can a speech by a woman, for women, draft female voters? Sure, so long as they're all back in time to make us dinner! AM I RITE?!?!